Lahore tribunal: LHC CJ urged to constitute larger bench

A full bench of the Lahore High Court here on Tuesday requested Chief Justice to constitute a larger bench to hear a petition challenging functioning of the tribunal holding an inquiry into the Lahore killings. As the bench resumed hearing, advocate Aftab Bajwa stated that the reference judge, Justice Abdul Sattar Asghar, who had heard the matter in single-judge bench, should be added to a full bench.
Therefore, the full bench directed registrar's office to place the case file before the Chief Justice for appropriate orders for the constitution of a larger bench with the inclusion of Justice Asghar. The full bench is comprised of Justice Khalid Mahmood Khan, Justice Mahmood Maqbool Bajwa and Justice Anwarul Haq. Qamar Sohail filed a petition saying the constitution of tribunal comprising judges of superior courts was against the honour of judiciary. He said in past several judicial commissions were constituted but their recommendations were never implemented, which raised questions on the independence of judiciary. The petitioner said that governments always used the judiciary as a shield to protect their wrongdoings. He therefore prayed to the court restrain the tribunal from holding proceedings.